1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicle tire chains, specifically to tire chain configurations which provide easier mounting on the wheel.
2. Prior Art
It has long been an objective of the tire chain industry to make tire chains easier to mount on the wheel. Most chains use the “drive on” method because of the problem of the wheel sitting on the ground which represents an obstacle to placing the chain in that area. Many assistance devices are found in the art, such as ramps to drive the wheel onto, clips to carry the chain through the tire to ground contact area and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,574, Maresh, et al, discloses a chain which mounts in one stop, but it is not strongly stabilized, being totally stabilized by elastic, rather than steel, and thus does not meet the performance levels of the chains of the present application.
Peerless Chain Company makes a tire chain, marketed by Traction Tire Chains, which tightens two cross chains with two self tightening ratchet mechanisms, to accomplish one stop mounting. They give the chain the trademark Auto-Trac.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,933, by the present inventor, pertains to the same general tire chain category as the present application.
The basic objectives of this present application are exactly the objectives of U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,933, that is: to provide a tire chain which can be fully mounted in one stop of the vehicle and which will provide strong stabilization of the chain in resisting random high operating forces on the chain, as encountered in severe turning and braking, and in skids.
The basic mounting techniques employed in the present invention are exactly those of U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,933, namely to employ a mounting technique and configuration which imposes cross chains upon the edges of the tire to ground contact area, and which includes self actuating return of deflected cross chains to their proper, normal position in the array on the tire tread, upon operation of the vehicle.